Rory MacDonald Not Rushing For Title Shot? ‘Ares’ Says He Respects Whatever UFC’s Decision Is But Trainer Believes He Should Be Next In Line

Rory MacDonald is not rushing to get the next title shot and says he respects whatever the UFC’s decision about it may be, but his trainer Firas Zahabi thinks otherwise.

Talks of Rory MacDonald getting the next title shot came after his impressive win against Tyron Woodley at UFC 174 on Saturday night. The thousands of his fellow Canadians in attendance at the Rogers Centre in Vancouver lauded his performance, wherein he was able to neutralize and negate Tyron Woodley’s punching power.

“Ares” himself was pleased with how he was able to showcase his game plan during the fight.

“I think this is probably my best performance in my career so far,” MacDonald said during the UFC 174 post-fight press conference “I gotta watch the tape but the feeling I have right now, you know, I’m pretty happy with myself except closing the fight, I didn’t get the finish. Things went well.”

“Ares” has been highly acclaimed as one of the best welterweights in the UFC, which only makes for a fiercer competition in the 170-pound division. But according to UFC President Dana White, Rory MacDonald will not be getting a title shot notwithstanding his impressive showing at UFC 174.

Instead, he maintains his original position of having Robbie Lawler and Matt Brown fight for the opportunity.

Rory MacDonald, on the other hand, had no problem with the current set-up.

“It’s not that I don’t want the title shot,” Rory MacDonald continued. “I want it to be clear that I want that but I respect the decision that there’s two guys ahead of me that have been promised it. But if that fights a stinker, I’m ready to step in.”

Meanwhile, his trainer Firas Zahabi thinks that Rory MacDonald indeed deserves the next title shot.

“I think he is the number one contender,” Zahabi told “Tyron Woodley is the man, and he beat him tonight, so I think so.”